US Immigration Department in State of Chaos, 8 More Judges Dismissed

The ongoing immigration crisis in the United States has taken a more severe turn as eight additional judges have been dismissed from New York City’s federal immigration court—one of the busiest in the country. A leading American daily reported the development on Monday, citing data from the National Association of Immigration Judges.

According to the report, a total of 90 immigration judges nationwide have been removed so far this year, including six from New York. Immigration attorneys fear that this wave of dismissals will bring court operations to a near standstill.

The move comes amid the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on immigration. Under U.S. law, individuals detained by immigration authorities must be given the opportunity to defend themselves before any deportation order is issued. However, attorneys warn that with fewer judges on the bench, many detainees may be denied this fundamental right.

Among those dismissed is Amina A. Khan, the supervising judge of the New York Immigration Court. The association noted that while 90 judges have been let go, only 36 new judges have been appointed so far.

Meanwhile, more than 3.7 million cases are currently pending across over 600 immigration courts nationwide. These cases involve critical matters such as asylum claims, family-based immigration quotas, visa complications, and status adjustments.

Human rights organizations argue that the administration’s hardline stance on immigration is undermining the constitutionally protected right to due process in the United States.

Due to the judge shortage, many hearings have now been automatically postponed until 2028, the report states. Additionally, many asylum applications are reportedly being dismissed by the government without hearings.

The crisis escalated further last week following an incident in Washington, D.C., in which an Afghan immigrant fatally shot a National Guard member. In response, the Trump administration imposed visa bans on citizens of 19 countries, including Afghanistan. It also suspended proceedings for pending asylum cases and halted the processing of family-based immigration visas.

Attorneys and human rights advocates criticized the sweeping measures, saying that punishing millions of vulnerable immigrants for the actions of a single individual is both inhumane and contrary to the principles of justice.